Review // Loving

[projekktor id=’26023′]

Mud (2012) director Jeff Nichols brings his unique approach to story telling to the real life story of Richard and Mildred Loving, an inter-racial couple who quietly changed constitutional law in the 60s when they fought for their right to be married. SPOILER The verdict of Loving vs. The State of Virginia made marriage a right in the United States, for the Lovings that meant their inter-racial marriage was legal in every state in the country, including their home state of Virginia. It was a landmark case which resulted in a big win for Civil Rights. While the momentous triumph of the case and the importance of their fight is represented in the film, what made me fall in love with Loving is how it focused on the characters and their common place love story. A character piece about two quiet, good natured people whose love story was altogether average and uninteresting by Hollywood standards might sound boring but it’s far from it.

Nichols captures the beauty of life’s simplicity and juxtaposes it with equally common place moments of injustice. He also looks beyond racism and acknowledges the fear that powered hate, segregation and the laws that prevented Richard (Joel Edgerton) and Mildred (Ruth Negga) from living as a family in the state of Virginia. Through his lens audiences can feel the fresh air of the country side and the anxiety of the city. What’s interesting about Loving is what Nichols left out. For a film that could have easily played out as a court room drama, we’re rarely in a courthouse. In fact, just like the Lovings, the audience doesn’t attend the landmark Supreme Court hearing, opting to leave the lawyering to the lawyers, Bernie Cohen (Nick Kroll) and Phil Hirschkop (Jon Bass). Unlike most academy contenders Loving isn’t accompanied by an epic score. Instead, Nichols employs moments of silence that are so powerful and swelling that music would have undermined their impact.

The couple are expertly crafted by Edgerton and Negga. Both leads give awards worthy performances. From Edgerton’s physical transformations to Negga’s subtle vocal mimicry, they were able to capture the essence of real life people and make them their own. While there’s plenty of on-screen chemistry the pair seem truly comfortable with each other. Not only are they able to portray the love between their characters but also the friendship and bond that kept them going while society and the legal system stood against them.

Richard and Mildred Loving aren’t Jack and Rose, they’re that couple you barely notice holding each other in bed as the Titanic goes down. Their love isn’t epic but it’s true and it’s refreshing to see their story hit the big screen without getting the “Hollywood” treatment. The Lovings offer us glimmer of hope, a reminder that injustice can be overcome, and strength for the battles that continue. Loving is a wonderful, romantic, film that reminds us of the importance of acceptance and family this holiday season.

Reviewed by Vithiya Murugadas.